Four-way cable contact



1949- E. R. GOLDFIELD FOUR-WAY CABLE CONTACT Filed July 13, 1946lA/VENTOR [aw/N R. Gonor/ao Z57 WZEQZLW DG1M ATTORNEfiS Patented Feb. 8,1949 FOUR-WAY CABLE CONTACT Edwin E. Goldfield, University Heights,Ohio, as-

signor to Picker X-Ray Corporation Waite Manufacturing Division, Inc.,Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 13, 1946, SerialNo. 683,313

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in high tension cable contactsand more particularly to a novel arrangement of concentric male andfemale contacts so arranged that a given set of male contacts may mateequally well with the same number of female contacts or with the samenumber minus one.

An object of the present invention is to improve the construction shownin my Patent No. 2,238,- 319, granted April 15, 1941, whereby fourcontacts may be provided in substantially the same space previouslyoccupied by only three contacts.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novelarrangement of an extra contact positioned radially outside theoutermost of a set of concentric contacts by an amount slightly greaterthan the thickness of a. mating contact so as to provide a constructionwherein a mating contact may lie either radially inside or outside ofthe outermost concentric contact.

Another object of the invention is to provide in the combination of thepreceding paragraph means for limiting the movement of the two sets ofmating contacts toward each other so that the purposes of my inventionwill be accomplished.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the accompanying drawings and description and the essentialfeatures thereof will be summarized in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of mating sets of contacts with oneend thereof being broken away in central longitudinal section to moreclearly show the construction;

Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse sectional views taken along similarlynumbered lines of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1when the mating contacts have been moved into engagement; while Fig. 5shows the structure of the male member of Fig. 1 as mated with a femalemember of three contacts only, the view of Fig. 5 being taken in aposition similar to that of Fig. 4.

In my earlier Patent No. 2,238,319, I disclosed concentric male andfemale electrical contacts adapted to connect three high tensioncircuits in connection with X-ray apparatus. The purpose of theconstruction there shown, and of the present improvement thereon, is toprovide means for connecting stiff high tension cables which are oftentwisted when in use, and the arrangement shown permits such twistingwithout interrupting the electrical circuits and without straining thecables. It is sometimes desirable to complete a fourth electricalcircuit through such high tension cables either in connection with X-rayapparatus or other work. The present invention is directed to thisimprovement.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have shown a male connector member 10 inserted ina female connector member l I in a manner similar to that shown in myprior patent above referred to. The specific construction of the meansfor holding the concentric contacts is not a part of the presentinvention except insofar as it shows one manner of mounting the contactsfor the purpose intended and suitably insulated from each other. Thespecific construction shown in the member 10 is, except for amodification mentioned later, ex-

actly like that disclosed and claimed in my Patent No. 2,353,719,granted July 18, 1944, to which reference may be had for furtherdescription if necessary. It should be sufficient to state here that theend of the high tension cable is reduced in section at the end l2 whichis surrounded by a sleeve 13 of insulating material, preferably formedin two half cylinders, as taught in my preceding patent. The ring 14 isa corrugated retaining ring like that shown at 32 in my prior Patent No.2,353,719. The base disc 55 which holds the male contacts isnon-circular in form and gripped by the sleeve i3 in exactly the samemanner as was the disc 2| of my prior patent last referred to. The spaceI5 is filled with a flowable insulating compound like that shown in thespace 23 of the same patent. The cable 12 is provided with fourelectrical conductors instead of the three shown in the earlier patent.These conductors comprise three, namely, l1, l8 and I9, imbedded in thecentral core of the cable and a conducting sheath 28 which is formedaround the central core of the cable. This sheath is twisted into acompact filament for connection to one of the end contacts, as willpresently appear.

Three concentric end contacts are secured to the base disc I5 in amanner similar to the three contacts shown in my prior patents. Theinnermost contact 2| has a ferrule 2la which extends through a centralopening in the disc i5, and riveted on the inner face thereof. Theintermediate concentric contact 22 is cylindrical in form and providedwith spaced tongues 22a which pass through suitable openings in the basedisc and are bent over on the inside face thereof to secure the contactin place. The outermost of the concentric contacts, 23, is similar to 22and is secured to the base disc IS in a similar manner.

Referring to. Figs. 1 and 3, a fourth contact 2d is provided by fixingin the base disc l5 2. portion Ma on the same circle as the contact 23,but

insulated therefrom by the material of the disc iii as indicated at thepoints We of Fig. 3. At a point intermediate the length of this contactit is bent outwardly at the shouJder Mb so as to cause theoutermo'st'end portion 24cto lie radially outconcentric and mounted in asuitable bas'e con-- struction, as shown at the right-hand endof Fig. 1,and which is analogous to the structure shown in Fig. 4 of my Patent No.2,238,319. The only 'di iierenc'e is ft/hat the fourth ring '28 has beenadded with suitable insulators "so that all o'isaid fernal'e contactsareproperly insulated, one from the other. Each o'fthe female contactsis provided with an eye,'respectively, indicated at 225a, 126a, 27a "and28a for the attachment of circuit connections. V I

When the mating contacts of Fig. l are rnoyed together so thatsleeve'l'l occupies the dot-dash position of'Fig. 1, the relationship of thecontacts is shown clearly in 'Fig.-i. It will be note'd'that contacts25, 26, and 2? lierespectively radially inside of the contacts 2:, 22,and 23, whereas the contact ".28 engages the contact 24 on the outsideof the end portion 240 thereof. Thus, all of the contacts aresuitablyseparated from each other and each completes its own individualcircuitpa total of four circuits.

It Will be noted'that the contacts '2: and 25"are slotted as shown'at'zd and ti-respectively. This is a known manner of obtainingjsorneresiliency in the contacts, and the 'ot her'contacts, both male andfemalarare likewise, slotted, as indicated in Fig. 4, although thisconstruction has been omitted from Fig. 1 for clearness.

The male connection of Fig. '1 will mate equally well with "a-fernaleconneetionhaving but three contacts, as taught in my prior; Patent 'No.2,238,-

7 319. In'Fig. 5, I have shown in section, a construction entirelyanalogous to that shown in Figs, 4 and-5 of my prior patent, No.2,238,319. In the present drawings, contacts A, B and C are exactly likethe contacts shown atf25a, 25b 'and 25c, respectively, in the lastmentionedUnited States patent. chosen of such a diameter; that they materadially outside of the'male contacts-2|, 22 and '23, respectivelygasclearly shown in Fig. 5. The spacing of the'contact 2'4 permits thisengagement "of the-female contact 0 radially outside the'male Theseconteic'tsA, 'B and 'C-are be arranged in the same space formerlyoccupied 4 contact 23, as shown in Fig. 5. In this case, of course, themale contact 24 is not connected to any circuit.

I have thus shown how four male contacts may, by but three malecontacts, and the four are so\ arranged that they will .mate equallywell with four female contacts, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, or with threefemale contacts, as shown in Fig. 5.

Means is provided to insure that the female contacts do not hit theshoulder 24b of the fourth male contact when the parts are fullyinserted,

shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 1. To this end,

the "contacts 2"! and 25 are so constructed and arranged that when theyare fully inserted, the female contact 2?, which is shorter than 25,stops short ofthe-shoulder 2%, thus preventing contact at this point.

ii 'ha't I claim is:

1. High tension electrical contacts adapted for relative twistingmovement between male and female contacts comprising three'spacedconcentric contacts and a fourth contact having a base portion spacedfrom its end portion and substantially on the same-radius as theoutermost of said concentric contacts and having-an end portion bentradially outwardly from said base-portion by an amount slightly greaterthan the thickness of a mating concentric contact, said fourth contactbeing electrically insulated from said outermost of said concentriccontacts, there-being a shoulder portion-connecting said base and endportions, andone of said three eoncentric contacts engagingits matingcon'tactto lin'iit movement ofsai'd male and femalecontacts towardeachot'her before a mating contactcan engage said shoulder.

2. "In the combination of a-plurali ty of spaced concentric circular:male electrical contacts adapted to engage 'a plurality eintating-female electrical contacts, the provision of an additionalarcuate inale contactextending around a small portion'of a circle, saidadditional contact being CES EITE-D The following referencesareofjrecor'd in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES Number 'Name 7 "Date 2,238,319 "Goldfil'd j Apr. 15, 19412,353,719

, Goldfield July '18, 1944

